Indiana State Police Chief Open to Changing Marijuana Laws

The leader of Indiana State Police says he has no objection to efforts to ease penalties for marijuana possession in the Hoosier State. When asked about the drug in a budget committee meeting, ISP Superintendent Paul Whitesell said he’s spent some 40 years trying to enforce various marijuana laws.

It’s here, it’s going to stay, there’s an awful lot of victimization that goes with it. If it were up to me, I do believe I would legalize it and tax it, particularly in sight of the fact that several other states have now come to that part of their legal system as well," said Whitesell.

At least two Indiana lawmakers say they’ll sponsor bills that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational or medical use.

Whitesell says the state could set up a system under which marijuana users would register and pay taxes.